Retaining walls, walls, and fences are used in various landscaping projects and are available in a wide variety of styles. Numerous methods and materials exist for the construction of patios, fences, edgers, walls and retaining walls. Such methods include the use of natural stone, poured concrete, precast panels, masonry, and landscape timbers or railroad ties.
In recent years, segmental concrete wall and landscaping units, which may be laid, positioned or dry stacked without the use of mortar or other complex securing means, have become widely accepted in the construction of patios, fences, walls and retaining walls. Such patio, wall and landscaping units have gained popularity because they are mass produced and, consequently, relatively inexpensive. They are structurally sound, easy and relatively inexpensive to install, and couple the durability of concrete with the attractiveness of various architectural finishes.
In the manufacture of patio, wall and landscaping blocks and other kinds of blocks made from concrete, it is common to use a mold that forms a block module which is then split to form two or more blocks. In another method, blocks are individually formed in a mold and the surfaces are textured by the mold and the removal of the mold exposes these surfaces. Another known method of creating a block having an irregular or textured surface is to form the block in a mold box that has been provided with a sidewall liner or stripper shoe shaped to impart the irregular or textured surface on the block during the block molding process.
In the construction of a wall or fence the aesthetic design of the individual block units and the overall visually pleasing aesthetic appearance of the patio, wall or fence is very desirable. Blocks that have a desirable texture or pattern create an exposed surface of a patio, wall or fence that is visually appealing. Such blocks are commonly made in a block machine which includes a mold assembly comprising one or more mold cavities. A texture or pattern may be imparted to a surface of the block by a stripper shoe or side liner of the mold assembly. For example, if the exposed surface of the block is formed at the top of the mold cavity a texture or pattern may be imparted to the block surface by a stripper shoe and if the exposed surface of the block is formed at a side of the mold cavity the texture or pattern may be imparted to the block surface by a side liner of the mold. Typically, the blocks are formed of a moldable material comprising dry cast concrete. The use of dry cast concrete presents some issues for prior art mold assemblies when making blocks having a textured or patterned surface. If the pattern is to be impressed on a block surface by a side liner of the mold assembly the patterned surface may sag when the dry cast concrete is discharged from the mold if the pattern includes contours which leave part of the surface unsupported. If the pattern is to be formed on a block surface by the stripper shoe the patterned surface may not properly release from the stripper shoe if the pattern does not have a sufficient release taper or heated shoes. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a block having a desired texture or pattern on an exposed surface and a mold assembly capable of making the block while overcoming the problems of prior art mold assemblies.
It would further be desirable to provide a block having a desired texture or pattern on an exposed surface that could be used in the construction of walls that are straight, irregularly contoured, convexly curved or concavely curved. It would further be desirable to provide the same block with the ability to be used in the construction of the main building courses of the structure and as a capping or finishing course of the structure constructed with the block.